RIP To These Cooking And Baking Products That Vanished From Store Shelves

If you love spending time in the kitchen whipping up sweet treats or you have a favorite dinner recipe that slaps every time, you probably have a few beloved ingredients that you swear by. For some, a certain brand of marinara sauce is a must for their mother's lasagna recipe, while for others, a specific variety of chocolate chips is the key to taking their favorite cookies to the next level.

Unfortunately, brands don't always take our individual love of a product into consideration before they discontinue it. We wish that wasn't the case, but sadly, it's the truth. This is why, over the years, many cooking and baking staples have vanished from store shelves.

Join us and say RIP to these products, which include beloved seasoning blends, baking mixes, and more. Fortunately, in many cases, there are some decent alternatives around. But the truth is that some things just can't be replaced. If you've lost your favorite cooking or baking product, we send you our deepest condolences.

If you love whipping up ultra-chocolatey recipes, we have some bad news: Hershey's Cocoa Special Dark 100% Cacao appears to have totally vanished from store shelves. The beloved cacao product, which many relied on to make indulgent brownies and chocolate cakes, has been difficult to find for a while now. This has led many customers to speculate on whether the powder has been discontinued. 

There has been no official announcement from Hershey's about the future of its Special Dark 100% Cacao. However, at the time of writing, it is listed as out of stock on the Hershey's website. Popular online retailer Amazon also lists the cacao powder as out of stock, and states it does not know if or when it will return. Some customers have speculated that the absence of the Special Dark 100% Cacao might be due to the ongoing cocoa crisis in the chocolate industry.

Right now, cocoa prices are rising sharply amid ongoing shortages caused by extreme weather in Africa's cocoa-growing regions. This crisis has led some major companies, including Hershey's, to alter chocolate recipes by reducing the cocoa content. Of course, it's not possible to reduce the cacao used in a 100% cacao product, so this might explain why it's been missing from the shelves for quite some time now.

Za'atar is an incredibly popular Middle Eastern seasoning blend. It usually contains herbs like oregano, thyme, and marjoram, which are mixed with spices like sesame, cumin, sumac, and coriander to create a distinctly earthy, nutty, and slightly zesty flavor profile. Za'atar is incredibly versatile and can be used to level up everything from salads and avocado toast to roast potatoes and whipped feta. This is why it has so many fans, and it's also why many people were dismayed to find out that Trader Joe's had discontinued its own brand version of the seasoning mix.

Many people relied on Trader Joe's za'atar to add a nice tang and nuttiness to their favorite recipes. Some said that, before it was removed from the shelves, it was particularly tasty with dishes like hummus and eggs, for example. Still, for those mourning the loss of Trader Joe's za'atar, there are other options. The best place to find this Middle Eastern seasoning blend? Your local Middle Eastern grocery store, of course. And if you don't have one near you, there's always Amazon, or alternatively, you could whip up your own from scratch.

Trader Joe's helped many people fall in love with za'atar before the blend was discontinued, but that's not the only time it has pulled a beloved spice mix from the shelves. Many people adored Trader Joe's ajika seasoning blend, too. This product was its own version of a traditional spice mix used frequently in Georgian cooking.

Made with ingredients like chili pepper, salt, garlic, coriander, and fenugreek, ajika is similar to za'atar in the sense that it's a little bit earthy. But it has more of a kick thanks to the chili, and it's a little peppery and garlicky in flavor, too. Many customers who discovered the Georgian seasoning through Trader Joe's say it was particularly tasty on dishes like eggs, chicken, and beans.

If you're looking for a dupe, some say that the NY Spice Shop sells a version very similar to Trader Joe's mix. In fact, many people who were left heartbroken by Trader Joe's decision to discontinue its ajika seasoning say that this blend has successfully filled the void. Of course, there is also the option of visiting a local Eastern European market to see if they have it in stock, too.

Let's be honest, teriyaki sauce isn't hard to come by in the U.S. The beloved sticky, sweet, and savory Japanese condiment lines the shelves of grocery stores all over the country. But for some shoppers, one of the best teriyaki sauce options out there was at Whole Foods Market.

For some, Whole Foods Market 365 organic garlic teriyaki sauce was hard to beat for marinades, dips, or simply smothering their favorite meat or vegetables in before grilling. We're speaking in the past tense because sadly for fans, the garlic teriyaki sauce appears to have been discontinued.

It's not quite the same, of course, but the grocery store chain still has its own 365 Organic Teriyaki Sauce. If it's any consolation, when we rated the most popular teriyaki sauce brands in the U.S., we ranked this sauce from Whole Foods in second place. Our reviewer said it had the perfect balance of saltiness, sweetness, and tanginess, with the right hint of ginger, garlic, and sesame.

It seems Trader Joe's isn't shy about taking away shoppers' favorite seasoning blends. In 2023, the chain confirmed that its Vegan Chicken-less Seasoning Salt wasn't returning to store shelves. The blend, made with ingredients like salt, onion powder, turmeric, and garlic powder, had previously been loved by many people (not just vegans) for the boost of flavor it gave to everything from popcorn and roasted cauliflower to miso soup and veggie burgers.

Some people were so devastated that the Vegan Chicken-less Seasoning Salt had been discontinued that they even signed a petition in an attempt to bring it back. Unfortunately for fans, the blend hasn't returned to the shelves. But all is not lost. The good news is that there are many copycat recipes out there. Most are pretty simple and involve combining ingredients you may already have on hand, like garlic salt, onion powder, sage, paprika, and celery salt.

If you're a fan of homemade flaky pastry, you're not alone. There's just something about a buttery, tender pastry cooked from scratch that is both indulgent and comforting at the same time. This is why Bob's Red Mill initially created its own pastry flour: to help home bakers whip up their own delicious pies and pastries from scratch.

But sadly, some things just don't last forever. In 2025, to the dismay of many home bakers, Bob's Red Mill confirmed that its pastry flour products had been discontinued. The news was particularly disappointing because many found that this flour was more accessible and affordable than any other pastry flour on the market.

Still, Bob's Red Mill has confirmed that bakers can create a similar flour at home pretty easily. For example, the brand explains on its website that combining whole wheat flour with equal parts white all-purpose flour will offer a similar result to its discontinued Whole Wheat Pastry Flour.

In the 1970s, Betty Crocker Snackin' Cake mixes hit the shelves for the first time, and the range quickly became a hit with families across the country. People loved the mixes because they were so easy to make (you just combined the mix with water in a pan and then baked it all together), but also because of the range of flavors. Some people preferred the banana walnut variety, for example, while others were all about the coconut pecan or the chocolate almond.

Many members of Generation X who grew up in the 1970s have happy memories of baking Snackin' Cake mixes with their parents or grandparents. But sadly, kids today won't have the same experience (although there are, of course, similar products on the market) because Betty Crocker's Snackin' Cake has been discontinued. Maybe one day they'll make a return. In 2023, in response to a nostalgic customer, the Betty Crocker social media team wrote on X that it would inform the brand that people were asking for the Snackin' Cake mixes back.

Sauces aren't immune from getting the chop at Trader Joe's, either. In 2025, Redditors confirmed that the chain's popular yuzu hot sauce had also been discontinued. Like teriyaki, yuzu sauce is a popular ingredient in Japanese cooking, but it has a different flavor profile than its sweet-savory cousin. Yuzu is spicy, a little citrusy, and incredibly aromatic. There are a few different versions of yuzu; some are spicy (like the one at Trader Joe's), while others, like red yuzu kosho, for example, are much milder.

Many people say they loved using the Trader Joe's version on dishes like pad Thai, tuna salads, and frozen tamales, as well as eggs, soups, and halloumi. Still, Trader Joe's is far from the only store to sell yuzu hot sauce. If you've got a craving, head down to your local Asian supermarket to see if they stock it. Alternatively, you can find several different blends of yuzu sauce, including hotter versions like the one at Trader Joe's, on Amazon.

Another sauce in the Trader Joe's graveyard is the chain's Korean gochujang sauce. While it's now discontinued (RIP), it used to be made with a combination of ingredients like canola oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown rice vinegar, and, of course, gochujang paste. The latter is an umami-rich, slightly sweet, spicy paste from Korea made with fermented soybeans, chili powder, glutinous rice, and salt. 

Many people enjoyed Trader Joe's Korean gochujang sauce for its strong sesame flavor (so if you don't like sesame, this was probably never for you), as well as its milder heat and vinegary fermented flavor. For that reason, some people chose to slather it on hamburgers or drizzle it over eggs. The Korean gochujang sauce might have left the shelves, but gochujang fans, fear not. The chain's popular gochujang paste is still around (well, it is for now, anyway, but you never know what's around the corner, so maybe stock up while it's available).

Our final Trader Joe's product on this list is the chain's low-fat Tuscano marinara sauce. Many shoppers were big fans of this sauce, and some even felt it was one of the best marinara sauces money could buy. Seriously, when Trader Joe's discontinued it around 2019, some shopping forums went wild. People demanded that Trader Joe's bring it back immediately. They claimed that it was superior to all other store-bought marinara sauces and praised its simple ingredient list and umami-rich, savory flavor.

Sadly for those who loved Trader Joe's low-fat Tuscano marinara sauce, it is yet to make a return. That said, Trader Joe's does have several other red pasta sauce options on the shelves. For example, you can still buy Trader Joe's Spicy Chunky Tomato & Pepper Pasta Sauce. When we tried the spicy sauce for our Trader Joe's pasta sauce taste test in 2023, our reviewer praised the chunky texture and the overall flavor of the blend, which is made with San Marzano tomatoes.

Newsflash: eggs aren't vegan. This is why, back in 2015, vegan brand Follow Your Heart decided to do plant-based home cooks a solid by launching its VeganEgg powder. The mixture, made with a mix of ingredients like algal flour, cellulose, and nutritional yeast, could be used to make scrambles, omelettes, and replace eggs in many baked goods, like muffins and cakes. It was a favorite of vegans everywhere, so many were hugely disappointed when Follow Your Heart decided to discontinue the product for good.

Still, if you're in the market for vegan eggs, you do have options. In 2024, we ranked six different egg replacement brands, and found many high-quality products on the market, including JUST Egg. Unlike VeganEgg, which was powdered, JUST Egg is a liquid plant-based egg substitute made with mung beans. It can be used as a replacement for chicken eggs in recipes or used as a base for everything from omelets to egg muffins.

It's not just eggs that need replacing in vegan baking, but butter, too. For many plant-based bakers, Earth Balance's Buttery Sticks did the job of replacing dairy butter beautifully. They functioned just like the real thing in most recipes and had a rich flavor and a creamy texture. So when the Buttery Sticks started disappearing from the shelves, many people were seriously upset. In 2026, things went from bad to worse for many fans when Earth Balance officially confirmed that the Buttery Sticks had been discontinued.

But don't panic if you love this vegan baking product. Earth Balance has apparently replaced the Buttery Sticks with a very similar product called Plant Butter Sticks. There are a few small ingredient differences, but it appears to be almost the same as the old favorite. Phew.

Chocolate chips are a true baking hero. They can elevate everything from cookies to muffins to fudge, but let's be honest, they're pretty good straight from the bag, too. There are many different chocolate chip options out there, but for many, Costco's Kirkland Signature semi-sweet chocolate chips were their go-to. They weren't only a versatile and affordable baking ingredient but they also came in a huge bag, making them a good investment for amateur bakers.

Unfortunately, Kirkland Signature's chocolate chips weren't destined to last forever. The handy baking staple has been discontinued, leaving many to search high and low for a decent alternative. Some say that Aldi's Baker's Corner brand chocolate chips are a good swap, while others swear by the Ghirardelli version. But Costco also didn't leave shoppers high and dry without any chocolate chips at all. If you want to buy in bulk, the warehouse chain now stocks Nestlé's chocolate chips instead.

Betty Crocker Snackin' Cake mix wasn't the only easy baking product people relied on in the 1970s. Nestlé Choco Bake, which was basically a pre-melted, unsweetened liquid alternative to baking chocolate, was also around back then. Many people remember using it to bake cakes and brownies with their parents (as well as licking the Choco Bake off their fingers, of course). 

Many people still crave Choco Bake and want to use it in old recipes, but it's no longer around. However, according to people who have contacted Nestlé in the past to ask about the old baking product, it's pretty easy to replace. All you need to do is combine 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder with 1 tablespoon of shortening or oil. It's not quite the same as getting your hands on an old packet, but it will likely taste just as good. That said, if it's nostalgia you're after, it is possible to buy old Choco Bake recipe inserts on eBay.

Baking powder is, of course, an incredibly useful baking ingredient, as it's vital for helping baked goods rise. But it does have some drawbacks. For one, it's pretty high in sodium. On average, just 1 teaspoon contains 10% of the recommended daily intake. Baking powder's high sodium content is particularly problematic for those who need to follow a low-sodium diet for health reasons, which is why, for many, Hain Pure Foods' Featherweight sodium-free baking powder was a godsend. We say "was" because, sadly for those who relied on it, this product is no longer with us. 

It's not quite the same, because it does contain some sodium, but some people have recommended Rumford's reduced-sodium baking powder as a decent alternative. At the time of writing, there don't seem to be any completely sodium-free baking powder options available. Still, maybe Hain will eventually choose to bring it back. Its social media platforms have been flooded with commenters asking for it to reverse its decision, so never say never.